This invention pertains generally to the analysis of spinal movement and, more particularly, to a spine motion analyzer and method which can simultaneously monitor all rotations of the cervical spine and/or the lumbar spine and provide a relatively complete biomechanical assessment of spinal motion.
The analysis of spinal motion can provide valuable information in the diagnosis and treatment of both complex and simple spinal problems. It is also useful in other clinical applications such as determining how a patient is progressing in the recovery from an injury or how he is progressing in a physical therapy program. Being something which is difficult to manipulate, spinal motion can provide a very revealing indication of the true condition of accident victims or other people who have suffered, or claim to have suffered, spinal injury.
The analysis of spinal motion can also be helpful in developing sports techniques such as the swinging of a golf club, a tennis racket or a baseball bat, or the throwing of a ball.
One technique heretofore employed in the analysis of spinal motion is visual observation. This technique is of relatively limited value, however, due to the limitations of the human eye and other visual techniques and the inability to detect certain movements or to accurately measure the speed, smoothness and symmetry of movements, which can be more significant than static measurements in evaluating the biomechanical action of the spine.
Another technique heretofore employed utilizes photodetectors to monitor light reflected from targets attached to the patient along the spine and to provide electrical signals which are processed to provide graphical analyses of spinal movement.
It is in general an object of the invention to provide a new and improved apparatus and method for analyzing spinal movement.
Another object of the invention is to provide a spine motion analyzer and method of the above character which overcome the limitations and disadvantages of techniques heretofore employed in analyzing spinal motion.
Another object of the invention is to provide a spine motion analyzer and method of the above character which can simultaneously monitor all rotations of the cervical spine and/or the lumbar spine and provide a relatively complete biomechanical assessment of spinal motion.
Another object of the invention is to provide a spine motion analyzer and method of the above character which are useful in developing sports techniques such as the swinging of a golf club, a tennis racket or a baseball bat, or the throwing of a ball.
These and other objects are achieved in accordance with the invention by the use of a self-aligning measurement linkage which is attached to the subject above and below the portion of the spine in which motion is to be monitored. Mounts are provided for attaching the ends of the linkage in fixed positions near the sacrum, beneath the scapulae, and on the head for monitoring either lumbar motion or cervical motion. The linkage has a plurality of arms which move relative to each other in accordance with movement of the spine between the points to which the linkage is attached, and transducers connected to the linkage arms provide electrical signals which can be processed to provide video, printed and/or auditory indications of the spinal movements. One embodiment, which is particularly adapted for sports testing such as golf swing analysis includes a transducer such as a gyroscope which permits measurements to be taken with respect to an absolute or fixed reference such as the ground.